Power problems disrupt Amtrak, NJ Transit trains for third time in three days

John Munson/The Star-LedgerPassengers at Newark Penn Station board an Amtrak train bound for New York. Earlier this evening, Amtrak and NJ Transit trains faced major delays because of power problems on several rail lines between New York and Philadelphia.

NEWARK — Steve Beaudoin thought his flight today from Denver to Newark Liberty International Airport would be the longest leg of his trip.

But then he landed.

Once off the plane, he discovered the AirTrain from the airport that would connect him to Newark Penn Station was temporarily out of service. So he took a cab to Penn Station to finally begin his journey home to Asbury Park only to find NJ Transit and Amtrak train service along the Northeast Corridor had been suspended due to power problems.

This afternoon's suspension was the third time in three days — and second time in less than 12 hours — that service on the most heavily traveled rail lines in the northeast had been disrupted, creating misery for tens of thousands of travelers.

Seeing the crowd and commotion that ensued during the delay, Beaudoin, 52, gave up and phoned a family member to come pick him up in Newark.

"It looks like it's going to be a long time before it clears up," he said. "It's jammed up."

It has been a rough week on the rails.

TRANSFORMER FIRE

Noah K. Murray/The Star LedgerFrustrated commuters look up at an information board in Newark Penn Station for updates about delayed trains Thursday evening.

Early Tuesday morning, a transformer fire at a New Brunswick substation halted service on the Northeast Corridor between Trenton and New York Penn Station for several hours. Even though power was restored by 6:45 a.m., residual delays hampered much of the morning rush.

This morning, a low-voltage dip halted trains between New York and Philadelphia for 45 minutes. And at 4:37 p.m. today, service was suspended on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast and Midtown Direct lines. Trains began running again at about 5:45 p.m., but because of limited power, riders experienced low speeds and 60- to 90-minute delays.

In a statement, Amtrak, which owns the tracks, said both of today's disruptions were caused by a low-voltage problem originating from a substation in Philadelphia.

"Our engineering team has identified the failures as a result of the primary computer and back-up computer system that control the converters that provide power out on the track," the statement read.

Amtrak apologized for the delays and said it has arranged for the manufacturer of the system to fly in an engineer to devise a permanent fix. The carrier anticipated a normal morning rush today.

FRUSTRATED COMMUTERS

At a crowded Newark Penn Station this afternoon, frustrated commuters either waited patiently – or impatiently – or tried to find other means to their destinations.

Once service resumed, barricades guarding some platforms were lifted and the scene cleared out.

That wasn't enough to appease Shalinni Thompson.

Noah K. Murray/The Star LedgerShalinni Thompson of Charlotte North Carolina, waits for a ride in front of Newark Penn Station after a train delay Thursday evening. A loss of power supply created delays for NJ Transit and Amtrak passengers.

The former Plainfield resident, who now lives in Charlotte, N.C., was delayed three hours in her efforts to get from Metropark in Iselin into New York City on Tuesday due to this week’s first service suspension.

This afternoon, she had to take alternate train routes to get from New York to Newark. Instead of waiting for a connecting train back to Metropark, she called a friend to pick her up in Newark.

"I'm so ready to go home," said Thompson, 41. "I've had enough of NJ Transit."

While the power problems had more to do with Amtrak than NJ Transit, a spokesperson said the company was feeling the commuters' pain.

"Obviously, we know this has been a very difficult commuting week for our customers," said Penny Bassett Hackett. "We apologize for the delays they have experienced."

AGING EQUIPMENT

This week’s problems once again put the spotlight on problems along the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor due to an aging infrastructure. An Amtrak spokesman this week noted improvements to substations and other electrical equipment have been made in recent years.

Robert Sciarrino/The Star-LedgerNJ Transit and Amtrak trains were delayed this evening because of power problems on the Amtrak rail line.

U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a staunch proponent of a new, multibillion-dollar Hudson River train tunnel proposal that was killed by Gov. Chris Christie last year, said he and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced $450 million for improvements to electric systems, tracks and signals of the state's Northeast Corridor so "New Jersey commuters have a faster, more reliable ride to work."

"Rails are the lifeblood of our state’s economy and we can’t afford another summer of frequent delays," Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said in a statement.

For Thompson, one week of train travel in the northeast was enough for her to say the time was for action, not words.

"Get the problem fixed," she said. "Upgrade, do what you have to do. I can’t imagine people who have to do this day in and day out."